The following meanings for the abbreviations used in this specification apply:
3GPP 3rd Generation Partner Project
APN Access Point Name
BGP Border gateway protocol
CP control plane
DNS Domain Name Service
DP Data Plane
Forces Forwarding and control element separation
FP Forwarding Plane
FP forwarding plane
FTEID Fully Qualified TEID
IGP Interior gateway protocol
GPRS General Packet Radio Service
GTP-C GPRS Tunnelling Protocol-control plane
IP Internet protocol
IS-IS Inter System Inter system protocol
MME Mobility Management Entity
NAPTR Naming Authority Pointer
NE Network Element
OFC OpenFlow Controller
ONF Open Networking Foundation
OSPF Open Shortest Path First
PCC Patch Computation Client
PCE Path Computation Element
PCEP Path Computation Element communication Protocol
PGC PGW-C class
PGU PGW-U class
PGW Packet data network Gateway
PGW-C PGW control plane
PGW-U PGW user plane
PIP/InP physical infrastructure provider/infrastructure provider
SDN Software defined networks
SGC SGW-C class
SGU SGW-U class
SGW Signaling Gateway
SGW-C SGW control plane
SGW-U SGW user plane
TEID Tunnel Endpoint Identifier
ULI User Location Information
UP user plane
VNO Virtual Network Operator
VNP Virtual Network Provider
xGW Common abbreviation for SGW and PGW
Embodiments of the present invention are related to virtual networks, such as software defined networking (SDN, for instance see ONF). In SDN, it is possible to separate control plane and user plane. However, currently selection processes for several kinds of network elements, such as SGW and PGW, assume the collocation of user plane and control plane. Hence, the advantages of SDN cannot be exploited.
Thus, in order to correctly select the according function in mobile broadband networks, new procedures are needed.